Thursday, November 19, 2009

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar has asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on state transportation planning. GAO has identified four questions that their report will address:

1. What transportation planning activities are performed by state DOTs?

2. To what extent do state DOTs make use of performance measures in their decision-making and planning processes?

3. What challenges do state DOTs encounter in developing transportation plans?

4. What role does the U.S. Department of Transportation have in overseeing state transportation planning activities, and what opportunities, if any, exist to improve oversight and enhance statewide planning activities?

APA has been invited to offer comments and information to GAO as part of their work. APA will be compiling information and meeting with GAO in early December.

The Transportation Planning Division invites you to provide input on these questions, particularly issues related to the challenges (both for the state and for the MPOs and localities in working with the state) and opportunities to improve state transportation planning.

As always, specific comments are most helpful and we need input by December.